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The Travelling Writer

One of the things I love most about working as a freelance writer is that I can do it from anywhere. As long as I have access to a computer with a working internet connection, I can do my research and write and submit my articles on time. No one even has to know that I’m gone. I was thinking about this the other day, as I considered whether to take my laptop on a planned trip. There were advantages and disadvantages to either decision. If I left the laptop at home, which I could have chosen to do as there was a working computer where I was going), then I could have a lighter carryon and have more room for books and warm clothes. However, if I took it with me, I would have all my stuff with me in a familiar working environment. In the end, I chose to take it. It wasn’t that heavy, and the convenience of knowing where everything was outweighed the other considerations.

Tools For Success

Of course, that wasn’t all I had to take to make my trip a success (in work terms, at least). Although my laptop is my main computer, I use an external ergonomic keyboard and mouse to save my wrists. I don’t want to bring about a repeat of having to work one handed, so those had to go in the case.  Since I sometimes have to speak to clients abroad, I also needed a VOIP phone. To round out the package I added a USB flash drive (with a backup of my files just in case) and my paper diary. I was all set for a working holiday.

Working Holiday?

When I was employed, I never had a working holiday. I was either at work or I was on holiday. Now things are different. With enough notice, I can usually juggle my own deadlines so that I have light days and days off. However, since I also work with other writers, I need to check email, and sometimes check and forward work. It’s difficult to get away completely. Not that I’m complaining. I am far happier now than I ever was as a journalist or journalism teacher.

Who Needs To Know?

Many people wonder whether they should tell clients that they are going on holiday. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. If I am working with a client who is used to updates from me several times a day, then I say that I may be less available for a while. With occasional clients who are used to hearing from me intermittently, I say nothing. The same goes for the writers I work with. I tell those who are in the middle of jobs that I’ll be online less often; those who aren’t doing anything don’t really need to know.

Telling The World

I also make use of the vacation message. If you’ve ever emailed me in the middle of a site upgrade or hosting move, then you’ll know that I use that message for all kinds of things. Vacation messages aren’t just for vacations. They are an easy way to let everyone know that there’s an issue. I usually say what the issue is (e.g. I am working off site, temporarily unavailable or something similar), say when the situation will end and give alternatives for contacting me (if there are any). Using the vacation message means that clients and others know that their email has arrived and that they will get a response.

And here’s something I learned from another self employed person I know. Sometimes clients panic if they think that you won’t be available. If you are travelling on a Friday, you don’t need to enable your vacation message till the Monday. Most people don’t expect instant responses over the weekend. And you can remove the vacation message before you travel back, too.

Keeping On Track

So, what else do you need for a successful working holiday? The most difficult thing to find is discipline, especially if you are holidaying with others. When I visited Orlando last year, I took my WiFi enabled PDA with me so that I could check email for anything urgent before heading out for the day. I even managed to type a few responses, though it wasn’t ideal. On the way back from an outing, I would stop in at the computer room so I could do another check.

A little bit of forward planning means that you can keep your writing business on track and still have a great time. What works for you when planning a working holiday?

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